Yes, a Filipino can work in Germany, and you can start from the Philippines. Which route fits you depends on your qualification, your work experience and whether you already have a job offer.
This guide explains the main work routes in plain words, using official German and Philippine sources. Every figure below links to the source so you can check it yourself. Amounts are for 2026 and change over time, so confirm them on the official page before you apply.
The five ways to work in Germany
1. Qualified employment (skilled-worker visa)
For people whose training or degree is recognized in Germany and who have a job that matches it. The law asks for a job that fits your recognized qualification, paid comparably to a German employee in the same role. It sets no minimum salary of its own. If you are 45 or older when you first apply, the salary must be at least EUR 55,770 a year (2026) unless you can show adequate old-age provision. Regulated professions, such as nursing, also need the license to practice.
2. EU Blue Card
A related route for people with a university degree and a higher salary. In 2026 the minimum is EUR 50,700 a year, or EUR 45,934.20 for shortage occupations and recent graduates (the second needs approval from the Federal Employment Agency). IT specialists without a formal degree can qualify with at least 3 years of academic-level IT experience in the last 7 years, at the lower salary.
3. Experienced-worker route
For people with strong practical experience but no formal German recognition, in a job that is not a regulated profession. You need at least 2 years of relevant skilled-level experience within the last 5 years, a concrete job offer, and a salary of at least EUR 45,630 a year in 2026 (EUR 55,770 if you are 45 or older, unless you can show adequate pension provision). The salary minimum can be waived if your employer is covered by a qualifying collective agreement.
4. Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)
For people who have no job offer yet and want to look for work in Germany. It is valid for up to one year, and you may do trial work or side work of up to 20 hours a week. If your qualification is fully recognized you do not need points. Otherwise you need at least 6 of 15 points, earned from partial recognition (4 points), work experience, German language level, English, age, earlier stays in Germany and a qualifying partner. You must show financial proof of EUR 1,091 a month, which is EUR 13,092 for a year. It is not a route for finding a university place or a training place.
5. Recognition partnership
For people whose qualification still needs to be recognized. Recognition is completed after you arrive, while you work for a participating employer under a signed agreement. You need German at level A2 or higher (certificate issued within the last 12 months by an approved institute such as the Goethe-Institut or telc), and the employer must have experience with vocational training. Your spouse or partner and minor children can join you; the partner needs their own A1 certificate.
Do I need my qualification recognized first?
It depends on the profession. For regulated professions, such as nurses and doctors, you need recognition and a license to practice. For many other jobs you do not. The official Recognition Finder tells you, for your exact occupation, whether it is regulated, which authority handles your case and how the procedure works.
The Philippine side: OEC and PEOS
Whichever German route you choose, Filipinos who leave to work abroad also need papers from the Philippine government. These are separate from the German visa.
- Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). It serves as your exit clearance at Philippine immigration and exempts you from travel tax and the airport terminal fee. The Philippine Embassy in Berlin, through the labor office MWO-Berlin, helps with OEC and employment-contract verification for Germany.
- Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS), a free online DMW seminar. If this is your first time working abroad, you must complete it before you can get your OEC. Workers who have worked abroad before (Balik-Manggagawa) do not need it.
More guides for your situation
- Nurse in Germany
- Caregiver in Germany
- Engineer in Germany
- Electrician in Germany
- Welder in Germany
- Hotel and restaurant jobs
- Truck driver in Germany
- Warehouse and logistics jobs
- Cost of living and the money to show
- Opportunity Card (no job offer yet)
- Ausbildung (vocational training)
- Studying in Germany
- Joining family in Germany
- Au pair (ages 18 to 26)
- Overview of all German visa types
- Philippine papers: OEC, PEOS, CFO, DSWD
- German level you need (A1 to B2)
- How to check a recruitment agency
Where do I start?
- Find out whether your occupation is regulated and what recognition involves (Recognition Finder, linked below).
- Check your German language level. Most routes ask for A2 or higher, and regulated professions such as nursing often ask for more.
- Decide which route fits: a job offer points to the first three, no job offer yet points to the Opportunity Card.
- Complete PEOS and secure your OEC before you travel.
Not sure which route is yours? Answer a few questions and get a free roadmap that shows what you already meet, what is missing and your next steps.
Official sources
- § 18a AufenthG: skilled workers with vocational training
- § 18g AufenthG: EU Blue Card
- Federal Employment Agency: EU Blue Card
- § 19c AufenthG: experienced-worker route
- Federal Employment Agency: experienced workers
- § 20b AufenthG: Opportunity Card points
- German Federal Foreign Office: Opportunity Card visa information
- Recognition partnership (§ 16d AufenthG), official information sheet
- Recognition Finder (Anerkennung in Deutschland)
- Philippine Embassy Berlin: Overseas Employment Certificate
- DMW: Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS)
Last checked: September 20, 2026. This is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice. Figures change, so confirm them on the official pages.